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Separated bike lanes coming to Lakewood

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A bicyclist riding in a bike lane separated from the road with plastic curbs and posts

Lakewood is dedicated to creating a quality, safe, convenient, continuous and accessible bicycle transportation network to support bicycling as a mode of transportation for all ages and abilities. Besides having numerous health benefits, bicycling as a mode of transportation has the potential to relieve traffic congestion, improve air quality and increase overall mobility in the community.

What is a separated bike lane?

A separated bike lane, also known as a protected bike lane, is defined by the Federal Highway Administration as “an exclusive facility for bicyclists that is located within or directly adjacent to the roadway and that is physically separated from motor vehicle traffic with a vertical element." 

Because they are physically separated from vehicular traffic, separated bike lanes can contribute to increased bicycling volumes by appealing to less-confident riders who may not feel comfortable riding a bicycle directly adjacent to a moving vehicle. They can also improve overall safety on the roadway by:

  • Increasing motorists’ awareness of the bicycle facility,
  • Preventing improper use of the bike lane as a turning, acceleration, or parking lane, and
  • Reducing vehicle speeds by visually narrowing the roadway.

Summer 2024 installation

Lakewood installed the city’s first separated bike lanes this summer on Denver West Parkway, Garrison Street between Jewell and Alameda avenues, and a small section of Harlan Street near Alameda Avenue. These roads were all previously striped as buffered bike lanes (a double-striped bike lane with a 1-3' buffer zone between the bike lane and the adjacent travel lane) and were upgraded to separated bike lanes with the installation of plastic curbing and posts in the buffer zone. The short parking-protected segment of Garrison Street between Utah and Iowa avenues was also upgraded this summer with plastic posts in the buffer zone, but no curbing was installed to avoid creating a tripping hazard for motorists entering and exiting their parked vehicles.

Work was completed on Denver West Parkway in late June, on Harlan Street the first week of July, and on the first portion of Garrison Street between Jewell and Mississippi avenues in mid-July. The second portion of Garrison Street between Mississippi and Alameda avenues was completed in early August. No re-striping took place as a part of this installation.

Next steps

A proposed network of future separated bike lanes will be developed during the 2024-25 update of Lakewood's Bicycle Plan. In addition to pursuing recommendations in the updated plan, the city will continue to evaluate locations for installing separated bike lanes during the annual street maintenance program when roads are repaved. They will also be considered on an ongoing basis using the factors listed on the right side of this page.

Stay up to date on the status of these separated bike lanes as they are added throughout the city by subscribing to this page, and participate in this project in other ways:

Lakewood is dedicated to creating a quality, safe, convenient, continuous and accessible bicycle transportation network to support bicycling as a mode of transportation for all ages and abilities. Besides having numerous health benefits, bicycling as a mode of transportation has the potential to relieve traffic congestion, improve air quality and increase overall mobility in the community.

What is a separated bike lane?

A separated bike lane, also known as a protected bike lane, is defined by the Federal Highway Administration as “an exclusive facility for bicyclists that is located within or directly adjacent to the roadway and that is physically separated from motor vehicle traffic with a vertical element." 

Because they are physically separated from vehicular traffic, separated bike lanes can contribute to increased bicycling volumes by appealing to less-confident riders who may not feel comfortable riding a bicycle directly adjacent to a moving vehicle. They can also improve overall safety on the roadway by:

  • Increasing motorists’ awareness of the bicycle facility,
  • Preventing improper use of the bike lane as a turning, acceleration, or parking lane, and
  • Reducing vehicle speeds by visually narrowing the roadway.

Summer 2024 installation

Lakewood installed the city’s first separated bike lanes this summer on Denver West Parkway, Garrison Street between Jewell and Alameda avenues, and a small section of Harlan Street near Alameda Avenue. These roads were all previously striped as buffered bike lanes (a double-striped bike lane with a 1-3' buffer zone between the bike lane and the adjacent travel lane) and were upgraded to separated bike lanes with the installation of plastic curbing and posts in the buffer zone. The short parking-protected segment of Garrison Street between Utah and Iowa avenues was also upgraded this summer with plastic posts in the buffer zone, but no curbing was installed to avoid creating a tripping hazard for motorists entering and exiting their parked vehicles.

Work was completed on Denver West Parkway in late June, on Harlan Street the first week of July, and on the first portion of Garrison Street between Jewell and Mississippi avenues in mid-July. The second portion of Garrison Street between Mississippi and Alameda avenues was completed in early August. No re-striping took place as a part of this installation.

Next steps

A proposed network of future separated bike lanes will be developed during the 2024-25 update of Lakewood's Bicycle Plan. In addition to pursuing recommendations in the updated plan, the city will continue to evaluate locations for installing separated bike lanes during the annual street maintenance program when roads are repaved. They will also be considered on an ongoing basis using the factors listed on the right side of this page.

Stay up to date on the status of these separated bike lanes as they are added throughout the city by subscribing to this page, and participate in this project in other ways:

  • Frequently Asked Questions

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    Q: How does snow plowing and street sweeping work?

    Lakewood Public Works has scaled-down maintenance equipment that is small enough to plow separated bike lanes between the buffer zone and the curb. Plowed snow will be stored to the extent possible in the buffer zone and/or in the strip between the bike lane and the sidewalk. Snow plowing of separated bike lanes will be prioritized alongside shared-use paths.

    Staff used leftover funding from this project to acquire a scaled-down vacuum street sweeper similar to those used for roadways, and will use this small sweeper to keep the separated bike lanes clear of debris on an as-needed basis.


    Q: Can I walk or run in a separated bike lane?

    Unlike a sidewalk or shared-use path, a separated bike lane is a one-way facility exclusively for bicyclists and other small wheeled devices such as scooters. For this reason, pedestrians should not walk or use a wheelchair in a separated bike lane unless there is no sidewalk or other safe alternative present.


    Q: Where should trash cans be placed along a separated bike lane?

    Most Lakewood separated bike lanes are narrow enough that garbage trucks can reach over the bike lane to the curb, so trash cans should be placed as close to the curb as possible as not to encroach into the bike lane itself. In a parking-protected lane or a lane with a buffer wider than 3 feet, trash cans should be placed in the buffer between the separated bike lane and the travel lane to ensure they can be reached by garbage haulers.


    Q: Why is on-street parking moved from the curb to the other side of the separated bike lane on part of Garrison Street?

    A bike lane separated with curbing, posts, or other vertical elements would block access to on-street parking along the curb, so in order to separate the bike lane without obstructing the parking lane the two lanes must switch places. This allows for on-street parking while providing additional separation between bicyclists and moving traffic in the form of parked cars. Additionally, when a bike lane runs directly adjacent to a parking lane on the left side, there is great danger of a cyclist being hit with a car door and pushed into moving traffic when a motorist parked on the street exits their vehicle. To avoid this, the separated bike lane is shifted to the passenger side of the vehicle where doors are opened less frequently and an open door would only push a bicyclist onto the sidewalk instead of into the street. A 3-foot buffer between the parking lane and the bike lane adds extra protection and allows motorists leaving their vehicles to unload and cross the bike lane safely.


    Q: What can I expect future separated bike lanes to look like?

    Separated bike lanes can take several different forms, marked by the type of vehicle barrier installed. The type of separation depends on many factors including existing street design, road width, vehicle speeds, on-street parking, connectivity, maintenance and cost. Below are examples of three common types of separation.

    All separated bike lanes constructed in 2024 include a combination of plastic curbing and posts as shown in the project photo at the top of the page.

Page last updated: 07 Nov 2024, 03:06 PM